German patent publication 914 687 discloses an internal combustion engine which is configured as a two-stroke engine. A cover plate is mounted on the piston in the interior space of the crankcase. The cover plate is mounted below an opening in the piston through which the fresh charge of an air/fuel mixture flows into the combustion chamber at bottom dead center of the piston. In German patent publication 914 687, at bottom dead center of the piston, the fresh mixture is intended to flow along the inner side of the piston base and to so cool the same. This cooling takes place, however, only when the fresh air/fuel mixture flows through the opening in the piston, that is, only at bottom dead center. At top dead center of the piston, the cover plate prevents a cooling of the piston because no flow can form.